Rockets on Ashdod - A Student's Experience

by Mali Shalashvily Educational Counseling, Literature
Orot College of Education

It seems ridiculous to think that after Hanukkah, the Festival of Courage, we the citizens of Ashdod were compelled to cope with a new abnormal reality and demonstrate our courage as “in those days of Hanukkah” in this time as well - בימים ההם גם בזמן הזה.
The experience of the first alarm in Ashdod, together with the noise of the helicopters circling the city’s skies, were no small annoyance for the citizens and myself, caught in the middle of our Shabbat sleep. We didn't understand at first that the moment of war had arrived in Ashdod and that we should act accordingly. The air was thick with a sensation of adrenaline and pressure; people smiled nervously, waiting to see what would happen next.
At first, I thought that the alarm could connect between people together, and that somehow the situation could affect us positively.
How? Can you imagine an 8 story building with 32 families, and in those critical seconds, all of them gather in the staircase of the building. This is what it sounded like: on the eighth floor there are shouts against the Arabs; on the sixth floor an anxious child scream and his mother tries to calm him. On the first floor a couple recites Tehillim; on the fifth floor a neighbor is belting out "Hashem we love You" in song, if only to try and convince herself; the fourth floor resident screams that he finds the singing grating and begins to curse . On the second floor a father (a professional soldier) holds a meeting of "the security cabinet" with a neighbor dressed only in boxer shorts and an undershirt. It was this situation that we coined "the Israeli experience!"
The next day however, each alarm brings terrible fear, in light of our awareness that a citizen from Netivot was killed by a Grad rocket while sitting in the "Vaknin bar". And so, we all assemble quietly in the staircase within 45 seconds,waiting to hear the falling of the rockets, skipping a heartbeat. Immediately, my heart must return to normal.
At home, we decided that to be properly prepared for the situation, we must take precautions. I’ll share four:
• When driving the car, one must drive close to buildings in order to be able to reach a protected building within a few seconds.
• All the entrance doors of the buildings have been removed to enable each passer-by to enter the building in time.
• One should shower very quickly.
• Go outside only when really necessary.
I heard many stories of people caught by Grad and Kassam rockets in unpleasant situations and at the wrong time.
Which is precisely what happened to me the next day.
I wanted to go for a short walk in order to reinvigorate, and most of to escape sitting at home in front of the television. On my way, I met one of my students from the neighborhood. As his teacher, I asked how he was; we spoke briefly about the situation and how he and his family were coping with the stress and the atmosphere.
And then suddenly - the alarm, the sound growing louder and louder every second. I could see that my pupil was looking around with a helpless look to find a safe-room to hide in. When he couldn’t find one, he looked at me with a panicked look that I will never forget and asked, "My teacher, what should we do?"
I could feel his fear, as if it stuck to me too; I don't know if I was afraid, or maybe it was the responsibility for a frightened and helpless student when I have no solution to offer. I took his hand and we started to run quickly to a building that was far away from us. As soon as we found a shelter in the building, we heard a powerful explosion and all the windows of the building shook and nearly shattered. We needed to stay a few more minutes in order to be sure that no more rockets were launched, because there are many times when a few rockets are launched together, or as it is called by the citizens of Sederot, "Buy one get one free.” Of course, immediately after those long minutes, I told my pupil to run home as quickly as possible. As to me, I also went home very quickly, my heart pounded at full force. When I reached home, I learned that two intersections from where I was standing, a woman had been killed by a Grad rocket.
I should add that three more Israeli civilians have been killed during the fighting, with more than 60 rockets falling daily. For this reason, when this war ends, I'll be saying the blessing "שעשה ניסים לאבותינו, בימים ההם בזמן הזה"
And again, the alarm….